Dr. Kristen Newberry, PSY.D.

Hi there. I'm sorry to hear you are having panic attacks so frequently. When panic attacks are starting to interfere with your everyday life, that's a good sign that it's time to get some help. There are a few ways we help to manage panic attacks. Most of the research suggests that a combination of medication and talk therapy works the best for the majority of people.

With the medication route, your provider might prescribe you a fast-acting anti-anxiety medication to help your panic attacks feel more manageable in the moment. These are medications you take right when you feel a panic attack coming on or feel particularly stressed. Another alternative is to prescribe a daily, longer term medication that is meant to be longer-acting and lower your overall levels of anxiety throughout the day.

Talk therapy can also be very beneficial. In talk therapy, you can learn tools to help you navigate panic attacks, such as breathing techniques, grounding techniques, or other mindfulness techniques. Talk therapy is also a great place to discover if there are things in your life that are contributing to your anxiety. Personally, I think this can be especially helpful to make sure we are getting to the underlying cause of your anxiety.

Feel free to check out my video response to your question on TikTok @drkristinewberry.

Hello! This is a great question. Telling an angry person to calm down, almost never works. First, I think we have to acknowledge that none of us have the power to control other people's emotions. If someone is angry, they are the ones that have to learn to regulate how they feel and what they do when they are upset. So it can be good to remember that it's not your job to help them to be less angry.
If I was responding to someone who was getting angry too often, my approach would depend on the reasons behind the person's anger. Some people are angry because underneath of the anger, another threatening feeling is going on, like fear, anxiety, or sadness. And that other emotion is getting expressed as anger because sometimes it's easier to be angry than sad or scared, for example. In these cases, sometimes some sympathy and listening can help. Saying something like, "I can see that you're angry and I want to understand." That can sometimes help someone move past the anger to what's really going on.
Other times, though, people use anger as a manipulative tool. They've learned that by intimidating others, they are more likely to get what they want. In those cases, a sympathetic, listening ear is not what I'd recommend. Rather, I'd recommend a very firm boundary. Something like, "I don't like it when you speak to me this way, so I'm going to leave. I'm still here for you, but I'll only talk to you when you are more calm." Then it's very important that you do what you say and follow through with your boundary every time. This is very likely to make that person more angry at first, but if you do this consistently, they will get the message that they are not longer able to control you through their anger.

Hi there! Thank you for your question. I'm sorry to hear about your friend. A diagnosis of schizophrenia is understandably scary. The way we tend to think about schizophrenia treatment is that it can be managed. Much like type I Diabetes can't be cured, but can be managed with a combination of medication and lifestyle changes - schizophrenia can be thought of similarly. We usually do this through a combination of strategies including medication, talk therapy, social skills training, coordinated specialty care programs, and education or employment assistance. It's important that treatment is tailored to the individual because the way schizophrenia manifests in one person could look quite different in another person with the same diagnosis. It's also helpful if we can get the person's family or significant others involved and educated. Family or friends are sometimes able to see the first signs of an impending episode before the patient notices and can help them stay on track.

Yes, anxiety is commonly treated with antidepressants, however, the type of treatment depends on the type of anxiety. Generalized anxiety, such as worried thoughts, high feelings of stress, etc. can be effectively treated for many people through the use of a group of antidepressants called NSRI's. Some studies suggest that NSRI's are the most helpful treatment approach for generalized anxiety disorder. However, other types of anxiety, such as panic disorder, might be treated with other classes of medication, some of which are also anti-depressants while others like benzodiazepines are meant to only be used short-term. I would always encourage patients with anxiety to consider talk therapy along with medication so they can look at tackling any other possible underlying issues that could be contributing to their anxiety.